Obituary for
Jerry "Coach" Santorsa

Jerry “Coach” Santorsa, 71, passed away Sunday, July 8 at home after a courageous battle with prostate cancer. He is survived by his wife, the former Diane Naughton Brozzetti.
Born Aug. 17, 1946, in Scranton, he was the son of the late Gerard Vito Santorsa and Mary Gaffney Santosa. He was a graduate of Holy Rosary High School class of 1964 and was the proud business owner of Pinebrook Service Center and Jerry’s Auto Service in Scranton for over 40 years. His passion for automobiles expanded beyond his profession, as a collector of antique cars and an avid motorcycle rider. Jerry was also well known for racing his 1964 Plymouth and has over 30 stock car eliminations between Island Dragway, Great Meadows, N.J. and Numidia Raceway, Bloomsburg.
Jerry was also a talented softball player and coach, playing senior softball until the age of 68. He was a founding member of the Northeast Stars, the first girls’ fastpitch travel softball team in the area and later went on to coach them to an ASF state championship. Over the years, he also coached girls’ softball at Mid Valley High School, Penn State Worthington and Lackawanna College.
The family would like to thank Dr. Susan Slovin and staff at the Memorial Sloan Kettering, as well as Dr. Chris Peters, Dr. Martin Hyzinski, Dr. Michael Alocci, VNA Hospice and George Marcinkevich for a lifetime of support and friendship.
Also surviving are his mother, Mary Santosa, Scranton; a daughter, Debbie (Jim) Hopkins, North Carolina; two sons, Jerry Santorsa and Michael Santorsa, Scranton; stepdaughter Dina (Michael) Manci, Dalton; four grandchildren, Jamie Hopkins, North Carolina; Michael (Taylor) Santorsa, Florida; Aidan Santorsa, Scranton; Lucy Manci, Dalton; three sisters, Joann Santorsa, Scranton; Marilyn (Pete) Graziano, Moscow; Patti (Doug) Carter, Lancaster; and a brother, Robert (Mary Alice) Santorsa, Dickson City; mother-in-law, Eileen Naughton, Scranton; sisters-in-law, Nancy Dolan, Scranton; Sharon (Bob) Calzola, Moscow; Kathleen (Darrell) Faux, Falls; Eileen (Mike) Anneman, Scranton; Maureen (John) Marcinko, Scranton; and brothers-in-law, John Naughton, Tunkhannock; Thomas (Melissa) Naughton, Connecticut; and Brian Naughton, Philadelphia; several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, Gerard Santorsa; brother-in-law, Frank Naughton; and stepson, James Brozzetti.
The funeral will be Wednesday from the Solfanelli-Fiorillo Funeral Home Inc., 1030 N. Main Ave., Scranton, with Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 a.m. in Mary, Mother of God Parish at Holy Rosary Church, 316 William St. Everyone attending the funeral is kindly asked to proceed directly to church. Interment will follow in Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst.
Friends and family may pay their respects Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the James Brozzetti Memorial Scholarship Foundation at 102 E. Drinker St., Dunmore, PA 18512; or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at giving.mskcc.org.